The composer in mridangist Arunprakash takes centre stage
Senior mridangist K. Arunprakash has released an album titled 'Solladi Sivashakti' that features compositions by Mahakavi Subramania Bharati. The project emphasizes the use of a live 30-piece orchestra to preserve emotional depth in music.
Why it matters
The article highlights a revival of traditional live orchestration techniques in Indian music, contrasting with modern digital recording trends.
True to the opening lines of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati’s song ‘Nalladhor veenai seidhe, adhai nalam keda, puzhudhiyil yerivadhundo, Solladi Siva Shakti’ (You crafted a perfect veena. But would you let it go to waste, casting it into the dust to rot? Answer me, Siva Shakti.)
These lines, in a way, reflect senior mridangist K. Arunprakash’s musical journey. He inherited his compositional talent from his father, L. Krishnan, a well-known composer, and has put it to good use in recent years. Solladi Sivashakti, his recent album is proof of it. It comprises Bharati’s six compositions — ‘Nalladhor Veenai’, ‘Veenaiyadi nee enakku’, ‘Aaduvome’, ‘Kaakkai chiraginile’, ‘Theeradha vilayaatu pillai’ and ‘Senthamizh Nadennum’, which have been sung by renowned vocalist Bombay Jayashri Ramnath. Though released in 2021, it has been streaming on Arun’s YouTube channel since early this year. The highlight of the album is the use of live orchestration consisting of 30 musicians.
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